The Meaning of Family
by ambigousAnonymity
Summary: World: Seussical the Musical Cat realizes that sending Jojo to military school was probably a bad idea. Oneshot, CatxHorton, onesided GertrudexHorton


Author's Note

A comment on genders: Both Jojo and the Cat can be played as male or female

A comment on genders: Both Jojo and the Cat can be played as male or female. So while Jojo remains a boy, because he is a child, and his gender doesn't matter, the Cat is female.

The format is intentional, I would never abandon grammar with out a porpoise. Yes, I meant that too.

So. The goal of this is to show the slightly-less mischievous, caring side of the cat.

None of the characters are out of character, because this piece was based on a play, and each actor and director and audience member may view characters differently. Actors may portray characters differently.

This piece was not written with the intention of it being a fanfic. It was originally written as a character exploration piece, when I was cast as the Cat in the Hat, for a summer production of Seussical. I began thinking about how I thought of the Cat, how the Cat had been explained to me, and how I would portray her. This is what I came up with. Despite that, there are only two times you see this side of the Cat in the play, and only in my production, I think. Just quick snapshots, but they worked wonders.

The Cat looks at her apprentice. He's lying on his cot, covered in a regulation blanket, wearing regulation pajamas. He rolls over, burying his face into the pillow. Carefully, she lift his head, and flips the pillow to the cool side.

Poor kid…

He doesn't belong in this place…

She shouldn't have given his parents the brochure…

And of course, she just meant it for him to learn!

That's why she had done everything she had done so far…

But of course, she never thinks anything out…She's such an impulsive creature.

She pulls her self out of Who, and picks up the speck.

To find Horton…

He seems shocked to see her.

Please, please she begs him. Please talk to Jojo.

What?

Just talk to him…

Why?

…He's at military camp.

He just looks at her. No questions. He knows her well enough, has known her long enough to know that she had something to do with it. Hell, she was probably the cause of it…

Can't you get him out?

She shakes her head, no. He has to get out himself, now.

She knows he can. He simply has to will it. The stronger he wills it, then the easier it will be. But he's given up.

Just talk to him…

Alright.

She disappears again.

Horton shakes his head. So like her, to throw a situation at someone else, and not help at all.

But then he hears her voice, calling up to him from Who, and he relaxes.

She really cares about this kid…

The Cat is back in Jojo's bunk.

Jojo…Jojo…wake up. Jojo…Horton wants to talk to you. Jojo…

Jojo doesn't want to wake up, just for the sake of defying his mother.

Then he realizes that it's not his mother's voice.

And there's no way that his mother would ever be that gentle with him…

And she's not at military camp.

He rolls onto his back.

Something brushes over his face…

He opens his eyes, and sees a furry, black-and-white face looking down at him.

Not her…

Jojo…I have to go, she tells him. Can you sit up?

…Yes…

Good.

He pushes himself up.

Now you have to Think, Think very, very hard.

…I can't.

You have to. Please try. I have to go.

She bends down, and kisses him on the forehead, and frowns.

Soon, she's back in the Jungle of Nool.

He's awake. You can try talking to him now.

Horton nods.

Jojo?

Horton?

It's me.

Do you want to go home?

No. Home would mean seeing my parents, and I don't want to see them. They sent me here.

The Cat looks at Horton. Jojo's relationship with his parents wasn't bad, they just didn't understand him.

She doesn't know what to do.

Horton…She whispers. What do we do?

What do you do, he wants to say to her. She got the kid in this mess.

But she knows that, and already feels guilty enough. She always wanted to help him…

But her idea of help is so different from everyone else's…She just doesn't get humanity…or animals, either.

She disappears again.

Four times in one night – and probably counting.

Thinking doesn't take any energy – not in and of its self. But the things don in Thinks _do_. Things done in Thinks don't use as much energy as they do in real life, which is what make Thinking possible. But world traveling, that takes _such_ a lot of energy, even for an expert Thinker, like the Cat. She's wearing herself out for this kid.

She's going to run out soon. She didn't have much to start with, she's been up all day, on Jojo's schedule, and all night, watching over him. She's going to be drained…

The Cat lands in a heap by Jojo's cot.

He's dozing off again, and she shakes him awake.

If you don't want to go back to your parents, there's another option, she tells him.

You could come to the Jungle of Nool, and stay with Horton and I.

No offense, he says tiredly, I don't really wanna stay with you.

That Cat looks as if she's about to cry.

Jojo doesn't notice.

…Jojo…Would you rather stay with your parents or do you want to go to the Jungle of Nool?

At this point, staying here is not even an option.

…I would stay with Horton?

Yes.

Ok, then.

Can you Think yourself there?

…No.

You have to. I know you can do it.

No…

I'll Think with you.

I'll try…

Within a moment, Jojo is standing, shivering, in front of Horton.

His legs, sore from running sprints, tremble, and give out from underneath him.

Horton catches him.

As Jojo's eyes flicker shut, he asks, Where's Cat?

Horton shuts his eyes tightly. She helped Think Jojo here…

She knows better.

She's trapped on Who.

Great.

Horton carries Jojo inside, and lays him gently on his bed. I'll be right back, he tells the boy.

Gertrude answers her door in her nightgown. Like every other sane creature in the neighborhood, she sleeps at four am. But for Horton…

Jojo's at my house. Can you watch over him?

…What?

Jojo. One of the Whos.

You found the clover?

Cat found the clover, and brought it to me. But that's not important. Cat helped Jojo think himself here – after thinking herself back and forth four times, and after not sleeping at all for over forty-eight hours. I have to go get her. Can you stay with Jojo?

But you aren't a great thinker.

I have to. It's Cat.

Gertrude sighs. She would do anything for Horton, but he would do anything for the Cat. No matter what the Cat does, he always, always forgives her.

Horton is such a great guy, the Cat must have some redeeming qualities, and Gertrude has seen some…Like Thinking the kid back…But still, she wonders what he sees in her.

Fine. Where is he?

In my room. Oh, thank you Gertrude!

Gertrude wishes Horton the best of luck, then walks to his house. When she looks back at her doorstep, Horton is gone.

Horton finds Cat curled on Jojo's bunk. He shakes her.

Come on, let's go home.

Huh?

Let's go home.

Where…oh. How did you get here?

The same way you did. Let's go back.

I can't.

I'll help.

Are you sure you can carry both of us?

If you try your hardest.

Let's go home.

It takes several tries, but they finally land in front of Horton and Cat's (kind of) house. The minuet they arrive, Cat falls back into Horton's arms. He carries her to his room, placing her on the bed besides Jojo. She will want to see him when she wakes up, and he wants to be able to watch over them both at the same time.

Gertrude stands up the minute he walks in.

Sit down, she says. She looks at him critically.

You need to sleep.

I'm fine.

No, you aren't. You traveled for the first time, and with two people. You need sleep. I'll watch them.

But…

It's fine. I haven't traveled, and I slept tonight. You were up all night. Go to sleep.

I don't want to leave them.

She looks carefully at Horton's king sized bed. The Cat and Jojo fit on it comfortably, and there is just enough room for Horton.

She tells him that.

He's to tired to argue.

I'll watch them. Get some sleep.

He slides in next to Cat, and by the time the sun is up, five minutes later, he is asleep.

Gertrude watches this impromptu family, Horton's hand clasping the Cat's, who had turned to face Jojo, and she realizes why Horton never noticed her tail.

How could he, when he had this?

Gertrude smiles to her self. She has realized that it doesn't matter that Horton didn't return her affections. She will find someone eventually.


End file.
